During the 1996  Session the following Texas Legislators Pledged to Support Initiative

15 Texas State Senators signing the pledge to support Initiative and Referendum for Texas during the 75th Texas State Legislature.

"As a representative of Texans in the Texas State Legislature, I will support
and actively campaign for the enactment of a constitutional amendment
providing Texans with rights of Initiative and Referendum.
I further pledge to co-sponsor such an amendment
in the 75th session of the Texas Legislature."

Buster Brown of Lake Jackson, Texas
John Carona of Dallas, Texas
Troy Fraser of Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Chris Harris of Arlington, Texas
Tom Haywood of Wichita Falls, Texas
Jon Lindsay of Houston, Texas
Jane Nelson of Flower Mound, Texas
Drew Nixon of Carthage, Texas
*Steve Ogden of Bryan, Texas
Jerry Patterson of Houston, Texas
Florence Shapiro of Plano, Texas
Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, Texas
John Whitmire of Houston, Texas
Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, Texas
**David Sibley of Waco, Texas

* Signed pledge while in the House of Representatives.
** wrote a letter pledging support for I&R.

• Which demographic groups in Texas support
  initiative rights for themselves?

 

Thomas Jefferson stated an eternal truth when he said,
"Men by their makeup are naturally divided into two camps:
those who fear and distrust the people and
wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of higher classes;

and those who identify themselves with the people,
have confidence in them, cherish and consider them the safest and most honest,
if not always the wisest repository of the public interest.

These two camps exist in every country,
and wherever men are free to think, speak, and write,
they will identify themselves."

 

58 Texas State Representatives signed the pledge to support I&R for Texas during the 75th Texas State Legislature in 1996.

"As a representative of Texans in the Texas State Legislature, I will support
and actively campaign for the enactment of a constitutional amendment
providing Texans with rights of Initiative and Referendum.
I further pledge to co-sponsor such an amendment
in the 75th session of the Texas Legislature."

Clyde Alexander of Athens, Texas
Ray Allen of Grand Prairie, Texas
Kip Averitt of Waco, Texas
Betty Brown of Terrell, Texas
Wayne Christian of Center, Texas
Ron Clark of Sherman, Texas
Frank J. Corte, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas
Tom Craddick of Midland, Texas
John Culberson of Houston, Texas
Dianne Delisi of Temple, Texas
Mary Denny of Aubrey, Texas
Gary Elkins of Houston, Texas
Bob Glaze of Gilmer, Texas
Tony Goolsby of Dallas, Texas
Kent Grusendorf of Arlington, Texas
Peggy Hamric of Houston, Texas
Will Hartnett of Dallas, Texas
Talmadge Heflin of Houston, Texas
Paul J. Hilbert of Spring, Texas
Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville, Texas
Fred Hill of Richardson, Texas
Charlie Howard of Sugar Land, Texas
Suzanna Gratia Hupp of Lampassas, Texas
Kyle Janek of Houston, Texas
Terry Keel of Austin, Texas
Jim Keffer of Eastland, Texas
Mike Krusee of Round Rock, Texas
Edmund Kuempel of Seguin, Texas
Jerry Madden of Richardson, Texas
Kenny Marchant of Coppell, Texas
Tommy Merritt of Longview, Texas
Anna Mowery of Fort Worth, Texas
Joe Nixon of Houston, Texas
Sue Palmer of Fort Worth, Texas
Elvira Reyna of Mesquite, Texas
Gene Seaman of Corpus Christi, Texas
John H. Shields of San Antonio, Texas
Bill Siebert of San Antonio, Texas
Todd Smith of Euless, Texas
**John T. Smithee of Amarillo, Texas
Burt R. Solomons of Carrllton, Texas
Todd Staples of Palestine, Texas
David A. Swinford of Dumas, Texas
Robert E. Talton of Pasadena, Texas
Dale B. Tillery of Dallas, Texas
Buddy West of Odessa, Texas
Thomas Williams of The Woodlands, Texas
Arlene Wohlgemuth of Burleson, Texas
Beverly Woolley of Houston, Texas

** wrote a letter stating his support for I & R.

Recently retired legislators who also signed the pledge supporting I & R: Charles Finnell of Holliday, Allen R. Hightower of Huntsville, John Hirschi of Wichita Falls, Steve Holzheauser of Victoria, Jim Horn of Denton, Ted Kamel of Tyler, Dan Kubiak of Rockdale, Nancy Moffat of Southlake, Bob Rabuck of Conroe

"I was skeptical of Initiative and Referendum, but the proposed constitutional amendment from Texans for I&R has been carefully crafted
to provide sufficient percentage and distribution of voters,
appropriate timing of elections and all other necessary safeguards.
I am now convinced that Texas needs this reform;
and I am a spokesman for this decentralization of government power."
David Hartman of Austin, Texas, Chairman, Hartland Bank